Rugged Maniac returned to NYC at the Aviator Sports Event Complex on June 28, 2014. I am happy to cross mud run off of my bucket list. Rugged Maniac is a good entry race; it is only 3.1 miles with 25 obstacles spread throughout the course. Though the venue is out in the middle of nowhere Brooklyn, parking is free and they offer a free shuttle from the subway station. Do allow plenty of time to get there, especially with weekend train schedules.

The Course

Foam Frenzy

I wouldn’t call this an obstacle. There was one tiny machine that was barely spitting out any foam. Most people just ran passed it all together.

Quad Burner

A series of sand dunes which weren’t too high. Fairly easy to run up and down.

Ninja Escape

Pack Mule

You have the option to carry 50 or 25 lbs. I opted for the lighter load (nothing to prove here).

Napoleon Complex

Climbing up and over more walls. Being tall would be helpful here. But little me pretty much used every part of my body to pull myself up.

Fulcrum Fun

A series of see-saws. Much easier to do now that I have been riding my longboard.

Speed Trap

I was so hot by this time. It felt so good to jump into the cool, muddy water.

Beam Me Up

Climbing up more walls. This one is much easier with the beams as opposed to a solid wall. The only sketchy part is at the top and swinging over to the other side. I wish people would give me a little room and not be right on my ass. Oh, well. It’s there fault if they are too close and I kick them in the face.

Slam Dunk

More refreshing dirty water to jump into.

Let’s Cargo

I love climbing cargo nets. Might be my favorite obstacle.

The Gauntlet

Reminds me of the television show Wipeout. Didn’t fall in. The plank you walk across was really wide and not hard to balance on at all.

Balance or Bust

Probably my best obstacle. Walking across a 2×4 plank seems like cakewalk now that I have been longboarding and slacklining, a solid, stable piece of wood is a pretty easy surface.

But don’t worry if you fall in—more dirty water to land into.

Antigravity

Jumping on a trampoline to get to the other side. Wish there was more trampoline. I love jumping on trampolines. You can’t help but smile.

Pipe Dream

Crawling down and up two sets of pipes. This was my least favorite obstacle. There was a rope in the uphill pipe to help you climb out. I wore shorts, so this is where my knees got cut up the most.

Commando Crawl

Crawling through muddy water under barbed wire. This was the most muddy obstacle but could have been muddier. It was fun. The wire wasn’t electrified like other races. My knees may have gotten scraped up here, too but not as bad as the Pipe Dream because the mud and water is less abrasive.

The Ringer

Like monkey bars but with rings. My worst obstacle (no surprise). It’s the only one I didn’t complete fully. I dropped after four rings. I just don’t have that upper body strength yet. More push-ups for me. It’s definitely one of those things you need to do regularly at a CrossFit gym.

Mt. Maniac

The most challenging and most rewarding. Few extremely fit people could get up the wall without help. Like this guy:

Most people needed a little help. Luckily there was a consistent amount of racers who stayed back a little to help get people over the wall. I

I pointed at the guy straight in front of me and said, “you got me?” I ran to gain as much momentum as I could, climbed up the wall and reached out and grabbed his hand. He was like, “don’t give up!” I didn’t. I was determined to get over. I clawed my way up the wall and swung a leg over.

I just had to crawl across another cargo net, which is cool because runners that are starting the race are right below you.

Lastly, the fun part: down the big slide to the finish line.

There’s nothing like getting muddy water in your eyes.

I loved doing the obstacles, the running in between is my least favorite part. I’m happy to have done all the obstacles without injuries. I would have like it to be muddier. I think it’s just this location; we ran on pavement more than through the woods.

I also wish I could jump through fire, just because that sounds like fun! I would recommend Rugged Maniac to others looking to try out an obstacle race. I would do another type of race, but I don’t think I am hardcore enough for Tough Mudder just yet. Like I said, I don’t really like the whole running part and Tough Mudder is 10 miles.

Tips for Next Year

Do an earlier race. I signed up for 10:30 am. There was little shade coverage on the course so it got really hot.

Wear slim fitting capris. I didn’t have any old ones that I didn’t care about, so I wore shorts this year. Although my scabbed knees are like my battle scars and reminds me of a job well done, I think I will protect my knees next year.

Bring lots of friends. These things are more fun in a team (with coordinated outfits, of course).

]]>http://www.xtycrossing.com/2014/07/08/adventure-run-rugged-maniac-nyc/feed/3http://www.xtycrossing.com/2014/07/08/adventure-run-rugged-maniac-nyc/Celebrating the [Downward] Dog Days of Summer – Summer Solstice Yoga in Times Squarehttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/xtycrossing/AvrY/~3/qosLy5c3ELU/
http://www.xtycrossing.com/2014/07/01/celebrating-downward-dog-days-summer-summer-solstice-yoga-times-square/#respondTue, 01 Jul 2014 15:05:46 +0000http://www.xtycrossing.com/?p=2757The 12th annual Summer Solstice in Times Square event was held on June 21, 2014. This has been on my NYC bucket list and every year, I miss out because like every good free event in NYC, it sells out quickly. I was happy to recruit my best friend from college and her mother who ended up making a weekend NYC trip around the yoga event. We got a prime spot in the second row (and yes, we dorked out and wore matching tops).

Starting at 5:30 am through 9:15 pm, thousands of yogis flocked to Times Square to find some peace of ‘mind over madness.’ Being the longest day of the year, I wanted to enjoy every minute of it. We registered for the 7:30 am class with Heather Lilleston of Yoga for Bad People.

At the end of the yoga class we were in our final pose, Savasana. Heather told us to close our eyes and hold hands (which we all did). She says, “I was only kidding about the holding hands part but you all did it so keep it up.”

Athleta sponsors the event and while the yoga classes are free, participants are encouraged to donate to Urban Zen and Bent On Learning—two local nonprofits focused on yoga and healthcare.

After the session, we went to the yoga village for some great freebies and more photo-ops (of course!)

To close out this perfect summer day, my friend Julia and I did the Sunset Flow session with Ali Cramer of Laughing Lotus. At 7:30 pm, Time Square was bustling, but that didn’t stop 1,000 yogis from getting their zen on. You sort of feel like an animal at the zoo with all the tourists standing by the barricades snapping photos of you as you are doing your downward-facing dog (not my most flattering side, BTW).

As the sun goes down and the golden sunshine reflecting off the skyscrapers gives way to a dark sky and neon lights, I was lying on the pavement looking up and just taking it all in. It’s a perspective you don’t get very often. Most days, New Yorkers are so busy getting from point A to point B, we forget to look up and really appreciate the beauty of this magnificent city.

I loved hearing the sound of “Om” resonating through Times Square—it is certainly a must do experience and a fabulous way to end the longest day of the year. Namaste!

]]>http://www.xtycrossing.com/2014/07/01/celebrating-downward-dog-days-summer-summer-solstice-yoga-times-square/feed/0http://www.xtycrossing.com/2014/07/01/celebrating-downward-dog-days-summer-summer-solstice-yoga-times-square/Helping Kids with Autism Learn to Skateboardhttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/xtycrossing/AvrY/~3/GG_b9HltZxw/
http://www.xtycrossing.com/2014/06/04/teaching-kids-autism-learn-skateboard/#respondWed, 04 Jun 2014 17:25:50 +0000http://www.xtycrossing.com/?p=2724A. Skate Foundation hosts free skateboard clinics across the country for children with autism to help build vestibular, proprioceptive, and motor skills as well as social skills. On Sunday, June 1, 2014, A. Skate took over the House of Vans skate park in Brooklyn, NY. All the gear and safety equipment are provided for the kids for their one on one skateboarding lesson.

I was thrilled to see a surplus of volunteers. There was a bunch of skate volunteers waiting around to get paired up with a kid. It felt like reverse adoption. Pick me, pick me!

For many, this was their first time ever riding a skateboard. Kids of all ages and experience level had a blast, as did the volunteers helping them. Some were just scooting around on their bottoms while others were riding up and down the skate ramps with their volunteer.

I was paired with Sabrina. She was a more experienced rider and even had her own skateboard. She is fearless and quite the speed demon. We went up to the bowl on the upper level of the skate park.

Sabrina had me running all over the place. She kept saying, “Again…again…faster!” I was out of breath and exhausted. I wasn’t expecting to get such a workout this early in the morning. This was my first time volunteering with A. Skate, and it was tremendously rewarding for both the families and the volunteers. I highly recommend checking out this organization, and you can learn more about Sabrina on her Facebook page.

On May 22, the Museum of Modern Art opened hosted Lolë’s White Tour. 700 yogis, dressed in all white, united together for an evening of peace, community and love. Due to inclement weather, the yoga event was split into two sessions. Those with garden tickets were rescheduled for a 10 o’clock start time. It was a really good decision on my part to purchase the atrium ticket.

Elena Bower, Colleen Saidman Yee, and Rodney Yee led the yoga instruction. There were lots of volunteers walking around to adjust your pose or pushing you to a deeper stretch.

For ambiance, there was a live string quartet playing. Having this soothing music in the background was my favorite part.

Lolë’s White Tour is traveling to museums all over the world. It’s not the most challenging yoga class and it can be hard to find zen in such a large crowd—especially when you hear the clicking of cameras and ringing of cell phones. With that said, it is definitely a unique experience, and I would do it again next year!

The cost to register was only $25 and, by NYC standards, that is cheap for a drop-in yoga class. At the end of the evening, you can keep your yoga mat as a souvenir, too! You can never have too many yoga mats.

Costa Rica was one of those trips I will be talking about for years to come. Not only for its remarkable beauty but all the new friends and memories I made in just two weeks. Booking this trip at the beginning of fall, I didn’t know it was going to be one of the best spontaneous decisions I’ve ever made. After the polar vortex, escaping the winter in February was heavenly.

I initially chose Costa Rica because of an aerial silks retreat that looked too good to pass up. Once I booked the retreat, I decided to extend my vacation another week an explore more parts of the country because well, why the hell not? This trip was jam packed with every possible adventure I could squeeze in on my limited budget and time. I originally booked the trip as a solo traveler, but I am really happy I was able to recruit others for parts of it.

Getting There

I left Laguardia at 6:00 AM and met up with my friends in Fort Lauderdale who left from JFK. We rendezvoused in the terminal and waited for our connecting flight to San Jose, Costa Rica. Once in Costa Rica we transferred to a puddle jumper to Tambor (approximately 30 minutes). This might be the scariest adventure of the whole trip. Never been in such a small plane, you definitely feel every air pocket.

From Tambor a taxi drove us to Montezuma (30 minutes). We arrived to Montezuma a day before the retreat began and Anamaya was fully booked. They kindly set us up at a quaint B&B down the road. After checking into Mariposario Gardens, we headed down to town for a late lunch.

Getting the vacay started with Lauren (middle) and Leeza (right)

Itinerary

The first week was spent by the beach in Montezuma followed by La Fortuna to check out Arenal Volcano. Lastly, I went down to Drake Bay for more secluded beaches.

Adventures

(click on links for full adventure details)

Rock climbing at Montezuma Falls was a great way to start my adventure vacation. Climbing next to a waterfall was fabulous because I could go for a dip to cool off in between climbs.

A full week of aerial silks trainingnearly killed my arms, shoulders, and abs. I am sore and have bruises all over. I’ve never trained so hard. With that said, it was one of the most incredible experiences of my life. I am thrilled to have extended my circus family and inspired to continue my training.

As much as I wanted to fill my days with adventure, there was plenty of time spent in this saltwater infinity pool, gazing out into the ocean and soaking up the sun. The view at Anamaya Resort is truly breathtaking and the best in Montezuma – hands down. If you are looking for a yoga and adventure retreat, I would highly recommend booking one here.

Spent a day at Playa Hermosa for my first-ever surf lesson. I didn’t think surfing was going to be easy and underestimated how much upper body strength it takes. I definitely want to give surfing another chance. I am already planning a surf and yoga retreat.

photo courtesy of Sarah Major

I can’t say enough good things about Anamaya. The food, accommodations, and all the incredible people I met made my first experience in Costa Rica truly remarkable. I now know why people come here and never leave or sell all their belongs and relocate here. I seriously considered staying and what things I need to do when I get back home so I can return here some day and be Pura Vida!

When the retreat ended, I continued traveling through Costa Rica and headed north to La Fortuna to explore Arenal Volcano National Park. I hiked Cerro Chato Volcano, the most challenging hike in the area. Additionally, I went canyoning and relaxed in the natural thermal hot springs. The hot springs was the best part of this portion of my trip.

Canyoning

For my final leg of the trip, I flew all the way down to the southwestern region of Costa Rica, known as the Osa Peninsula, to the town of Drake Bay. The remote location was the perfect way to end my trip. With pristine, secluded beaches and the lack of crowds, I was able to enjoy my final days in Costa Rica in a peaceful, relaxing paradise.

I went to Corcovado National Park, the largest park in Costa Rica and rich in biodiversity. I was able to see so much wildlife.

My last excursion in Costa Rica was to Caño Island for scuba diving. The first dive was a bit murky because it had been raining the last couple of days. Our second dive was further out and the water was much clearer. The best part was seeing the white tip reef sharks circling for food. It was like being in my very own episode of shark week.

I encountered such friendliness from the ticos and tourists I met on my journey. I was thrilled to meet so many solo women travelers on this trip from all around the world. I connected with more people on this trip than I have on any of my other travels. As physically exhausted as I am after two weeks in Costa Rica, I feel more rejuvenated than ever. Even though I am back in New York City and winter seems to be endless, I am still basking in the warm glow that Costa Rica has left upon me. I am inspired to get projects I have been talking about for years finally off the ground.

There is something magical about Costa Rica. You can’t understand it until you experience it for yourself. So go, go now.

Located on the northern side of the Osa Peninsula, Drake Bay is an isolated paradise. Unlike other areas of Costa Rica that is saturated with tourists and resorts, Drake Bay has a handful of lodges and resorts along its coast making it an ideal vacation spot for those wishing to relax and escape from it all.

Getting There

From La Fortuna, I flew to Drake Bay via San Jose. I left at 7 am and arrived in Drake Bay around 12:30 pm. A cheaper alternative would be a bus from San Jose to Sierpe and then a boat to Drake Bay.

We fly over the beach and land at the “airport.” No frills. It’s pretty much a dirt airstrip with a shack for the terminal to check-in. Upon my arrival, a shuttle was waiting to take me to Cabinas Manolo – a clean, budget-friendly option amongst the luxury resorts in the area. The folks at Cabinas Manolo were very helpful to arrange all my excursions and transfers. I was pleasantly surprised when I checked in to get a free upgrade to a private room with a private bath (I paid for a private room with a shared bath).

Beach Hike

After I checked in and worked out the scheduling of my excursions, Rosanna, one of the property managers, suggested I do a beach hike along the shoreline on my ‘free day.’ Later that evening, there was a knock on my door. The girl asked me if I was going to go on the beach hike in the morning and if she could join me. Apparently, Rosanna told her there was another girl who was traveling solo and to find me. I’m really glad Rosanna connected me with Essie.

We started around 7am. We walked on the beach along Drake Bay and then the path continues into the jungle, over a suspension bridge and river with crocodiles.

We switch back and forth between walking along the beach or on a jungle path reaching beach after beach – each one more beautiful. I love how remote and secluded the area is because it was like having our own private beach all day.

We walked for two hours, took a little nap and then started making our way back before it got too hot. Glad we left as early as we did because that afternoon sun was killer. On the way back, we walked the jungle path to take advantage of the tree coverage.

I would have enjoyed the hike simply for the beauty of it all. However, I’m really glad Essie joined me today, and I made a new Finnish friend.

Corcovado National Park

Corcovado National Park is very remote and considered the crown jewel of the renowned Costa Rica National Park System. It is regarded by the National Geographic as “the most biologically intense place on the planet.”

From Drake Bay, a boat takes you to Sirena in approximately 1 hour. Essie was doing this excursion, too. We also made a new Dutch friend, Irene (another awesome solo women traveler).

Irene, Essie, and Kristy

Corcovado is exactly how I picture Costa Rica in my mind – lush, green and abundant in wildlife. This tree is awesome. It doesn’t grow from the ground. It wraps itself around another tree and sucks all the nutrients out of it to grow.

Saw lots of great wildlife I have never seen before or have ever even heard of. I have now seen all four monkey species in Costa Rica (howler, capuchin, spider and squirrel), toucan, wild boars, iguana, sloth, tapir, white-nosed coati and more. The guides are awesome because, seriously, you would miss all the animals if you went on your own.

Caño Island

If you can’t afford to dive Isla del Coco (packages start around $4,000), heading down to Drake Bay and diving Caño Island, is a great alternative. Caño Island is a 45 minute boat ride from Drake Bay. If you are lucky, along the way you may encounter a school of dolphins or sea turtles. I didn’t get to see dolphins only sea turtles, but the day before a women at the hotel said they saw a school of dolphins.

Most people snorkel, which looked a little crowded since all the tour groups were in close proximity to each other. Since I was diving, we went out a little further for our second dive to Devil’s Rock (snorkelers aren’t allowed to go) . It’s been too long since my last dive trip. After my anxiety from the decent settled, I was quickly reminded how much I love diving. Wish I was staying longer to do more dives. I need to go on more diving vacations.

Making the trek down to Drake Bay is time consuming and expensive, but it was the perfect way for me to end my vacation. Not congested with cars, people or noise pollution – it’s a serene oasis that is worth every penny. Be sure to eat at Gringo Curt’s. There are only three things on the menu and they’re all amazing.

The drive to La Fortuna from San Jose is well paved and the GPS was spot on. It took about three hours. The road is windy and many of the roads aren’t marked well, so I would not recommend doing the drive at night. I opted to stay at a cheap hostel ($15/night) Arenal Backpackers Resort in La Fortuna. It’s more of a party hostel. There is a bar with food on site. As well as a pool with a slackline over it! Music is played loudly but they are pretty good about lowering around 11 or midnight. It was clean and cheap. Located on the main drag, it is within walking distance to many restaurants, bars and shops.

Arenal Volcano is 5,437 feet and was active for 43 years up until 2010. Arenal Volcano National Park is over 29,000 acres. The area offers lots of adventures including rainforest hikes, whitewater rafting, canyoning, windsurfing, and numerous hot springs.

Hiking Cerro Chato Volcano

I don’t know why hikes always have to start with a sketchy suspension bridge.

It was a hot and sunny day. Thankfully, most of the hike is well covered under the trees. Otherwise, it would be unbearable. So be sure to bring plenty of water.

Along the way, there were great overlooks of Arenal Volcano. It is almost always under the clouds, but if you are lucky you can get a shot of it in clear sky.

More beautiful views. In the distance is Lake Arenal, which disappointingly, is man made.

Had to make lots of water breaks and photo breaks (of course). We took the most strenuous route and to make it more difficult the path is steep, especially towards the top, and muddy and crumbly. Combined with the heat, this is definitely one of the more strenuous hikes I have been on. After 3 hours, we finally made it to the top of Cerro Chato to Verde Laguna. On the side of the lake we were on, there isn’t a great shoreline and it was really muddy and hard to get into the water. Though on the otherside, was a small “beach” and people were swimming. I believe this is the route from the waterfall in town.

The guy at the base of the volcano gave us props for going all the way to the summit. I don’t think he thought we would make it. There was a driver at the bottom waiting for his tour group and he sold us some cold water. Best $2 spent on the whole trip.

Canyoning

Sergio, Jesslyn, Annabel, Jason, Luis, Kristy, Erika, and Rob

Canyoning (canyoneering in the states) is traveling through a canyon by utilizing various techniques such as walking, scrambling, swimming, cliff jumping, and rappelling. After getting our gear and brief instruction on how to rappel, we headed into the canyon.

I was slightly disappointed in the canyoning. Only because it was dry season, so the water lever was low and we could walk through most of the canyon. There was only one small pool to jump into. The waterfall was minimal due to the lack of rain, so it wasn’t as awesome as it could be. After rappelling down a 400 foot skyscraper, this was nothing. For others in my group who have never been rappelling before, it was more of a rush. This was just normal fun for me.

I was also disappointed because you don’t actually rappel down the whole way. It’s like a zipline instead. The guides at Desafio were fun and great. Food is included when you get back from canyoning. I would recommend this to people who have zero experience with rappelling or climbing but for serious adrenaline junkies, I would pass. Especially, since it cost $75 – I could buy a ton of Imperial for that!

Hot Springs

So there are fancy thermal spas all over Arenal. For $60 a day you can visit places like Tabacon and use all their serene pools. But I’m a girl on a budget, so I went across the street to the free hot springs. We went early in the morning and there was only one couple there. It was very quiet and relaxing and FREE. Try to bring as little with you as possible. There isn’t much space to leave your belongings, and I wouldn’t recommend leaving it out of your sight.

]]>http://www.xtycrossing.com/2014/03/27/arenal-volcano-la-fortuna-costa-rica/feed/2http://www.xtycrossing.com/2014/03/27/arenal-volcano-la-fortuna-costa-rica/Beading Making for Charity: Water to Benefit Tanzaniahttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/xtycrossing/AvrY/~3/u8VULP4aURQ/
http://www.xtycrossing.com/2014/03/21/beading-making-charitywater-benefit-tanzania/#respondFri, 21 Mar 2014 15:32:16 +0000http://www.xtycrossing.com/?p=2619Headed to the charity: water headquarters in NYC to help make paper beads for the Students Rebuild Water Challenge. Students Rebuild is a nonprofit organization that hopes to “inspire young people worldwide to connect, learn and take collective action on critical global issues.”

Why Beads?

Beads are a part of African culture—used for ceremonial purposes or given and exchanged at significant life events such as birth, puberty, marriage and death.

The Water Challenge

For every 20 beads made one person in Tanzania will have access to clean water thanks to the generosity of The Bezos Family Foundation. The task was simple. Roll strips of magazine paper around a toothpick to create a bead.

After a couple of hours I made 60 paper beads – helping bring clean, safe drinking water to three people in Tanzania!

The goal is to make at least 323,460 beads which renowned visual artist Vik Muniz will use to create a mosaic art piece. Beads submitted by March 31, 2014 will be used in the artwork. However, the Water Challenge has been extended through May 16, 2014. Students across the country are taking part in the Water Challenge. Get started and register to take the Challenge today!

]]>http://www.xtycrossing.com/2014/03/21/beading-making-charitywater-benefit-tanzania/feed/0http://www.xtycrossing.com/2014/03/21/beading-making-charitywater-benefit-tanzania/Anamaya Resort | Montezuma, Costa Ricahttp://feedproxy.google.com/~r/xtycrossing/AvrY/~3/_iU2F0DL_2I/
http://www.xtycrossing.com/2014/03/14/anamaya-resort-montezuma-costa-rica/#commentsFri, 14 Mar 2014 10:00:23 +0000http://www.xtycrossing.com/?p=2340Anamaya Resort is located in the southern Nicoya Peninsula of Montezuma, Costa Rica. After arriving in San Jose I hopped on a puddle jumper to Tambor (30 minute flight). This is the most expensive but the most convenient. A shuttle/boat/bus combinations would take about 5 hours. After flying for 6 hours, I just wanted to start my vacation ASAP. From Tambor, Anamaya arranged for a taxi to pick me up. It is a 30 minute ride and runs $40 for up to 4 people. Even before I arrived at Anamaya, they had already helped me so much with planning my trip. I must have sent a hundred emails to Mandy with all sorts of questions (some not even related to my stay at Anamaya).

Accommodations

I stayed in the Gaia House dorm room, which is the cheapest option. I shared the dorm with four other girls (three slept on the first floor and I slept in one of the two lofted beds). If you have trouble sleeping with light, definitely ask for the loft because it’s wall to ceiling window with no curtains to block out the sun, which pierces through by 6 am. Even though five us of shared this space, it never felt crowded. The best part of the room is the shower (pictured below). It has a curtain for a wall which I always left open and showered in the open air because when in Costa Rica…

Amenities

A saltwater infinity pool with a gorgeous view of the Pacific Ocean, it doesn’t get much better than this. By 9am breakfast, I already spent a few hours swimming and soaking up the morning sun. It is way to hot mid-day, so I was in the pool early mornings and late afternoon.

I want this yoga deck in my house. I didn’t get a chance to take the yoga classes with Naheed Radfar because I was saving my strength for aerials and trying to not overdo it. So, I would wake up and do my sun salutes and stretch on my own every morning. If you are in the LA area, I would recommend taking class with her. Everyone in the yoga retreat raved about the classes and the ones I watched looked awesome.

Waking up at 5:30 am while on vacation sounds crazy, but the sunrise is worth it. Trust me. Plus, I was so exhausted by the end of each day, I was in bed by 10 PM.

Cuisine

I was amazed how quickly I got on the Anamaya food schedule:

7 AM: Fruit9 AM: Breakfast1 PM: Lunch5 PM: Fruit7 PM: Dinner

Everyday at meal time I would be pacing around the dining area waiting for the food to be brought out. Meals are buffet style except for dinner which is served. All the meals were amazing. Everyone kept saying how we need a recipe book for all these nutritious and well-balanced meals. It rotated between vegetarian, meat and seafood and the chefs were very accommodating to food allergies. The fruit was so ripe and the vegetables so fresh. I wish I could take these chefs home so they could cook all my meals.

Mood lighting for dinner [photo courtesy of Sarah Major]

Things to do

Montezuma was a great place to stay with loads of adventures nearby. In addition to doing daily aerial silks, there are morning and evening yoga classes, surf lessons, rock climbing, hiking, and waterfalls, ziplining, horseback riding, and even snorkeling. For nightlife in Montezuma, everyone goes to Chico’s.Sano Banano’s is a great restaurant in town that shows movies every night at 7:30. Luckily, PEX Festival in Montezuma was happening the weekend following the retreat. On Friday night, I went into town with Holliday and Alisha to go dancing. The best part was the fire dancing on the beach. The worst part was getting lost on the way home and not getting back until sunrise.

Reflection

Sometimes, you just need to make yourself a priority and screw everything else. Going on this retreat was a treat for myself. Probably not the most fiscally responsible thing to do but I will worry about that another day. I have never been on vacation with so many women. I guess the memo hasn’t gotten out to men that yoga retreats are the place to find amazing, bad-ass, fit and adventurous women.

Some people came here for much needed R&R, others for self-healing, soul searching or to do something for themselves for a change. Right off the bat at our opening circle, people opened up and shared their intentions for the week and what brought them to Anamaya. I was moved at how honest and willing people were to share their stories, I couldn’t believe I was already crying and it’s only day one. Hearing my fellow retreat companion’s experiences and stories, it was clear that regardless of our age or background, we all had similar struggles, fears and desires.

As much as I loved my morning solitude for meditation and self-reflection, it was my interaction and conversations with the other women that made the lasting impression. I left with so much more than just a great tan. Anamaya has a transformative power from all the energy and light from the people that come here; it transcends spiritually, physically and mentally. Obviously, I didn’t expect to walk away after a week with some kind of miracle answer for the meaning of my life. However, I am leaving with a seed of peace and hope. I am confident when I get back to the ‘real world’ I will have the strength to make my dreams blossom and live the life I desire. And if that inner-strength shall waiver, I can call upon my fellow retreat mates to guide and support me. It was an honor and privilege to share this experience with you all.